US highlights India’s role in global security

India could play a role in battling Islamic State, the White House said on Monday during a visit to New Delhi by President Barack Obama, underlining Washington’s confidence that India is increasingly prepared to engage on global security issues.

US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said India’s involvement could focus on intelligence on the flow of money and militants to the radical Islamist group active in Syria and Iraq rather than deploying troops on the ground.

“When you look at our broader counter-terrorism co-operation and how we’re tracking the flow of fighters and terrorist financing, there I do think we want to find space for co-operation,” he told reporters.

The comments came hours after Mr Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi together watched a dazzling parade of India’s military might and cultural diversity, capturing the two countries’ determination to put decades of brittle relations behind them and forge a robust strategic partnership.

It rained on the Republic Day parade through the heart of New Delhi, but excitement nevertheless ran high over Mr Obama’s visit, which began on Sunday with a clutch of deals to unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade and deepen defence ties.

Most significant was an agreement on issues that, despite a groundbreaking 2006 pact, had stopped US companies from setting up nuclear reactors in India and had become one of the major irritants in bilateral relations.